1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle body panels, and more particularly, to a process and apparatus for forming curved sheet metal truck door panels.
2. Description of Related Art
Utility truck bodies such as those used by tradesman are typically boxy and non-aerodynamic in appearance. The boxiness lends itself to simple manufacturing processes. A trend in truck body design is to provide aesthetically pleasing lines which call for some curved body panels. Curved body panels, however, add cost and complexity to the truck's construction.
Typically, curved vehicle door panels are formed by a metal-forming process using special dies. The dies are provided with a shaped surface for pressing the sheet metal into the desired shape. The dies are very expensive to produce and greatly increase the cost of the truck body. Thus, there is a need for an inexpensive method of producing curved vehicle door panels.